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October 3 - October 24, 2018

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Reflection, encouragement, and relationship building are all important aspects of getting a new habit to stick.
Share thoughts, encourage others, and reinforce positive new habits on the Feed.

To get started, share “your why.” Why did you join the challenge and choose the actions you did?

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Energy Choose LED Bulbs
    Changing lightbulbs is an excellent first step toward energy efficiency! In what other ways can you exercise your civic duty to protect the environment and reduce carbon emissions?

    Lin Orndorf's avatar
    Lin Orndorf 10/24/2018 11:29 AM
    I have yet to complete this challenge, but I can't climb a ladder and would still need hep reaching the fixtures. I have the bulbs and will get my wife and our roommate to help. 

    There are so many ways each of us can protect our environment AND reduce carbon emissions! Something I do when I walk my dogs is pick up their poop and any litter we find. Dog poop in urban areas is unpleasant to come across, and it contributes to poor water quality, so it's better to bag it. I often find cans and bottles along the road in my neighborhood when I'm walking my dogs, and I always pick up what I can carry. Then I put it in the recycling can. Recycling saves energy and resources avoids the production of a lot of carbon emissions. 

    We also conserve energy at home by setting the thermostat a little higher in the summer (a little lower in the winter), and when we are not going to be home. We also turn-off or unplug devices when we aren't using them, and try to replace appliances with the most efficient ones we can buy. We use cold water only for laundry and hang at least half our laundry outside to air dry. 

    We are eating less meat, more veggies, and supporting more local businesses, including our CSA farmer. And I still feed the worms with my compost bins. I know there's more I could do, and I will keep doing more. I also teach college students about all these issues and more. With more of us doing small things, and more of us compelling our elected officials, at all levels to do more, I know we will do the right thing.

  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Launch a Recycling Program
    How might thinking creatively help us address big systems problems differently?

    Lin Orndorf's avatar
    Lin Orndorf 10/24/2018 11:16 AM
    I don't think we can address big systems problems or "wicked" problems with anything other than creative thinking. Conventional thinking will only find answers to treat the symptoms of problems while otherwise maintaining the status quo, which will more deeply imbed those big systems problems into our society. To overcome many of our challenges, we need to be creative, innovative, and collaborative across disciplines and demographics. The best solutions will also address more than one problem simultaneously.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Volunteer in my Community
    What is one thing you can do to help your community become more sustainable?

    Fiona Chrystall's avatar
    Fiona Chrystall 10/17/2018 11:45 AM
    Give more of my time to help others face their daily challenges.

  • Fiona Chrystall's avatar
    Fiona Chrystall 10/15/2018 7:00 PM
    I chose to do this challenge because I was getting a little complacent in my actions.  Sure, I teach Environmental Biology, and I do several things to try and lessen my impact on the environment, but I can certainly do more.  

    I'm pleased that this challenge has motivated me to buy a set of stainless steel straws and that I've also managed to persuade my husband (who is not nearly so environmentally conscious or active) to carry one, too.  So, although I committed to a very modest reduction of one plastic straw a day, in reality, we've saved at least twice that many in the past 4-5 days.  

    Next, I purchased and installed a toilet tank bank to reduce the amount of water we use for flushing the toilet.  That has always bothered me.  We have low flow attachments on our bathroom sink faucet but we couldn't do this on our kitchen sink because of the water filter and our showerhead is not fixed, which was the option we had through Duke Energy when we had a home energy/resource audit done a couple of years ago.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Happiness
    How does/can practicing gratitude keep you centered and motivated to work for a better world?

    Fiona Chrystall's avatar
    Fiona Chrystall 10/15/2018 6:51 PM
    Focus on the positive aspects of life.  This is so important in today's political climate in the US (and elsewhere).  There is still an awful lot of good going on in the world but it is not always recognized.  There's something motivating about recognizing the quiet heroes.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Health Exercise Daily
    How can you incorporate other personal values (like quality time with friends or spending time in nature) into your exercise routine?

    Fiona Chrystall's avatar
    Fiona Chrystall 10/15/2018 6:48 PM
    Go for a walk with a friend.  Take one of my six dogs for a walk.  Just go for a walk on my own somewhere beautiful.  That's not hard when I live in such a beautiful place!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Connect with a Nonprofit
    What inspires you to act toward a more sustainable community?

    Sun Kondal's avatar
    Sun Kondal 10/15/2018 5:35 AM
    We all live here together. Our children and their children will live here after us. Let's make it a wonderful experience.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Community Volunteer in my Community
    What is one thing you can do to help your community become more sustainable?

    Sun Kondal's avatar
    Sun Kondal 10/15/2018 5:34 AM
    Volunteer! There are some great organizations near you that could use your help. Contact them and see what you can do. Often they work around your schedule to help get things done!
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Food Smart Seafood Choices
    Many states and countries have advisories on eating fish. Find out what is advised for your region. Do you think your diet choices fall within these guidelines? What steps do you need to take to make sure that they do?

    Fiona Chrystall's avatar
    Fiona Chrystall 10/12/2018 8:11 AM
    It's much easier for me to make good seafood choices in Asheville than it is in my nearest local town of Marion.  I now have the Seafood Watch app on my phone and will check seafood options before deciding what to eat off restaurant menus.  I will also consult this before buying fish from my grocery store.  I do always check the source of my fish.
  • REFLECTION QUESTION
    Waste Skip the Straw
    How could you incorporate other "R's" -- reduce, reuse, refuse, repair, repurpose, etc. -- into your lifestyle?

    Fiona Chrystall's avatar
    Fiona Chrystall 10/12/2018 8:00 AM
    I need to do more "refusing".  I already refuse plastic bags, and I now have stainless steel straws to be able to refuse plastic ones.  I try to buy in bulk, when I can, to reduce packaging and I grow as much of my own produce as I can.  I do repurpose and repair things, when possible.